


kiss me under the mistletoe (or don’t, whatever)

by unsureavenger



Series: in the canon universe [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Gen, Mistletoe, Post-The Battle of the Labyrinth, Pre-The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson), Secret Santa, Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25084309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsureavenger/pseuds/unsureavenger
Summary: Percy’s first Christmas with Annabeth, Grover, Thalia and his other friends at camp is ruined by the sudden arrival of a handsome demigod.Thalia’s knowing looks don’t help when Percy’s getting this burning feeling in his chest every time he looks at Annabeth. And why does everyone seem to know what’s going on except for him?
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson & Grover Underwood, Annabeth Chase & Thalia Grace & Percy Jackson & Grover Underwood, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Percy Jackson & Grover Underwood, Silena Beauregard/Charles Beckendorf
Series: in the canon universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2178210
Comments: 4
Kudos: 105





	kiss me under the mistletoe (or don’t, whatever)

"Don't forget your things!" 

Percy glanced up Half-Blood Hill and hoped that none of his demigod friends heard his mother berating him. 

Last summer, he'd hung up a picture of them together and Clarisse had called him "Mama's Boy" for a month. 

"Yes, Mum," Percy mumbled, grabbing his suitcase and duffel bag. All his clothes and personal belongings for the next week were in there (including a few pot noodles he'd smuggled in). 

Paul and Sally were off to a holiday in a Hawaiian resort with Paul's wealthy godparents. Since Percy was pretty much allergic to planes - as in he would be blasted to smithereens if he stepped on one - Chiron agreed to take him in for the month. 

Percy was disappointed that he wouldn't be spending Christmas with his parents, but he was also kind of psyched to see all his friends again. 

He hadn't seen any of them since the summer and Kronos had attacked from the Labyrinth. 

"Oh, you almost forgot!" Sally grabbed one last thing from the front seat. 

Percy wrinkled his nose.

Sally pulled the maroon beanie on to his hair and started adjusting it. 

"I'm fine, Mum," Percy stepped back. "I'm fine!" 

He instantly felt terrible as her face fell and she started drawing patterns in the snow with her feet. 

Sally looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry. It's just — a whole month away from you? What if something happens? This is. your first Christmas without me. I won't see you for a whole month!" 

Percy gave her a reassuring smile. "Mum, I'll miss you too. Terribly. But I promise you I won't go off on any dangerous quests this month." 

"Don't make promises you know you'll break by next week," Sally said accusatorially. She sighed. "You're so grown-up, Percy, sometimes I can't even believe it." 

"I know, 15 was crazy for me," Percy said. "Feels like a mid-life crisis is coming on." 

Sally chuckled. "Okay then, you should probably head up then. Check in with Chiron, and don't forget to stick with Annabeth. It'll make me feel better knowing you're with her."

Percy rolled her eyes. "How can you trust her over me?" 

Sally looked at him sympathetically. 

Percy winced. "Don't answer that." 

She gave him one last hug before urging him up the hill. Percy yelled his goodbyes to them as they drove off into the snow, Paul's Prius disappearing behind trees. 

Loneliness overcame Percy for a few seconds as he hauled his things up the snow-covered Half-Blood Hill in silence. 

But then, he reached the pine tree marking the camp border, and he quickly forgot all that. 

"Perrrrcy!" A very familiar satyr let out a deafening bleat as he galloped and leaped onto Percy with a bright grin. 

Percy fell face-first into the snow and came up laughing. "I missed you too, G-man." 

Grover blushed, his cheeks already pink from the cold, and helped him up. "It's been ages!" 

"Two months," a gruff voice came from behind them. 

Percy glanced behind to see Clarisse, the burly daughter of Ares, with her arms crossed and hiding a grin. 

"Couldn't stay away for any longer?" Clarisse sneered, but even she sounded half-hearted. 

She was building a snowman with her boyfriend Chris Rodriguez, who waved at Percy with a grin. Percy recognised most of his friends from summer milling about, but also a few notable faces missing. 

Miranda Gardiner wasn't here, so Percy assumed she was spending time with her family. The same went for Sherman Yang and a few other campers. 

Tyson wasn't here either – as expected. He was working with the other Cyclopes in Poseidon's forges. 

"Percy!" Travis and Connor chorused as they ran up to Percy. Both of them wrapped him in a giant hug. 

When the withdrew, Percy sighed and stuck out a hand. "Wallet?" 

Travis frowned and handed it back to him. "How did he know?" he murmured to his brother. 

"Hey, Perce!" Beckendorf walked up with an arm around his girlfriend, Silena. They had started dating after a long build-up, when he asked her to the 4th of July fireworks. Everyone had been rooting for them, and Percy had to admit he was happy when they got together. 

Percy was glad to see all his friends, but a prominent face was missing. "Where's—"

"Annabeth?" Travis and Connor finished in unison. 

Clarisse barked a laugh. "Look at this, he doesn't even care about the rest of us anymore." 

Percy pointedly turned away from Beckendorf and his wiggling eyebrows. "I was just wondering where she was."

"She's been talking about you coming all week," Grover told him. "I've never seen her so genuinely excited." 

"Oh." Percy tried to act nonchalant, though his heart sped up a little when he heard that. 

He'd been doing a lot of thinking over the summer – a huge surprise. Ever since Annabeth had kissed him at Mount St. Helens, it was like his brain had been permanently damaged. 

He blushed when he thought of her, and stammered when he talked to her. This was new, since Annabeth was easily one of his best friends. She probably knew him better than he knew himself. 

The kiss had never been mentioned. Percy didn't know why, but every time he thought about bringing it up, it was like his tongue had tied itself into a knot. 

Percy knew that it was just in the heat of the moment. Annabeth had thought he was going to die - which he nearly did - and just kissed him. She probably regretted it afterwards anyway. 

"She's in her cabin," Silena finally revealed. 

Percy grinned at her and headed to drop his things off in his cabin. 

"Be safe!" Travis yelled. "Use protection! Remember, pulling out isn't a solution!" 

Percy glanced back at him with a horrified expression. "I'm going to pretend you never said that!" 

Connor's laughs followed him all the way to his cabin. 

After Percy mentally erased that memory and left his bags, he pulled on his coat and started wading to the Athena cabin. Even though the camp's magical barriers usually kept out unwanted weather, Percy was glad Mr D decided to let it snow. Everything felt so much more lighthearted. 

As he passed the Athena cabin, he was met with the strangest sight. 

The sons and daughters of Athena were chatting as they laid sleeping bags and pillows out on the snow. Weapons, clothes and duffel bags lay scattered across the ground. 

"Annabeth?" Percy called out, recognising a familiar head of blonde curls. 

Annabeth was sitting in her sleeping bag. She glanced up from her book when he called her name, and Percy could've sworn her eyes lit up when she saw him. 

"Percy!" she said cheerfully as she scrambled to her feet, dropping her book. 

That had to be the first time she'd picked him over a book. 

She walked over to him and waved awkwardly. Percy returned it with a chuckle. "Why's the entire Athena cabin camping outside?" 

Annabeth blushed. "Uh, because the fresh air helps us think...?" 

Percy raised an eyebrow. "There's a spider inside, right?" 

"Yes," all the campers chorused. 

Percy sighed and walked into the cabin. Sure enough, there was a spider on the floor – larger than most he usually saw, but still small. 

Percy picked it up with two fingers and flicked it out the window. He then walked it fo the cabin and spread his arms. "The crisis has been averted!" he announced. 

Cheers erupted from all the Athena campers. A few of them even came over and hugged him. 

"Keep doing that, and you've got our blessing to date Annabeth," Malcolm told him in a low voice. "Don't tell Mum." 

Percy opened his mouth to object but Malcolm was already hauling his things back into the cabin. 

Percy helped Annabeth bring her things back to her bed, and she spent a few minutes arranging her clothes neatly. 

"So," Annabeth paused, her eyes flickering momentarily to the beanie sitting on his head. Her cheeks tinged with pink. "Um, what do you want to do? I mean, the Aphrodite cabin is in charge of decorations this year – I think they're putting up magic mistletoe or something – but it's only the end of November, so I doubt they'll put up anything until next week." 

Percy shrugged. "I have no idea, honestly. I've never spent Christmas at camp before; what do you guys do?" 

Annabeth dragged him out of her cabin and started explaining. "Okay, so at the bonfires throughout December, someone is picked to share a personal story. The picking is usually random, and is done by whoever's cabin is in charge of decorations – so Aphrodite." 

She was about to continue when a loud conch horn call echoed around the camp. 

Percy exchanged a nervous look with Annabeth. "Is that a Christmas tradition?" 

Her expression darkened as she shook her head. 

Percy drew Riptide and sprinted out of his cabin. It wasn't mealtime, so that could only mean one thing – monsters. 

He raced like a madman past confused demigods, Annabeth on his heels with her bronze dagger out. 

To his surprise, Chiron stood there, blowing the horn, with a smile on his face. Percy came to a halt in front of him, Annabeth stopping on his left. 

"Wait, what's going on?" Percy looked around. No monsters. 

Chiron's smile seemed to get wider. "We have a surprise guest." 

He stepped aside, revealing a girl with spiky black hair and a leather jacket behind him. 

Percy let out a choked laugh. He recapped Riptide. 

She grinned. "What's up, losers?" 

"Thalia!" Annabeth cried. She sheathed her dagger and threw her arms around her best friend, who stumbled back with laughter. 

When Annabeth had recovered her composure, Percy gave Thalia a side hug. She was Annabeth's best friend, but Percy had to admit Thalia was probably one of his closest friends too. 

"What are you doing here?" Annabeth demanded. "What happened to all your lieutenant duties?" 

Thalia chuckled. "Leaders have holidays too. Artemis said I could have a break. Since the second Titan War is looming, she said I needed as much strength as possible. So I got a three-week-long break to spend Christmas here." 

"I missed you," Annabeth told her truthfully. "Percy's terrible company." 

"Hey!" Percy complained. 

That night, at the campfire, Percy sat huddled between Grover and Annabeth, who was sitting between Percy and Thalia. 

"This year, the cabin in charge of Christmas activities is..." Chiron paused. "The Aphrodite Cabin!" 

Cheers went up from their cabin. They must've been told a few weeks earlier to prepare everything. 

Silena Beauregard, head counsellor for the Aphrodite cabin, stood up. "Now, since tomorrow is the first day of December, every camper is expected to pitch in and participate in the activities prepared." 

"First," she continued. "We have a Secret Santa gift exchange." 

Excited whispers started to ripple across the campers. Percy glanced at Grover, who was starting to look worried. 

"Please pick a name out of the hat, and read it without showing anyone who you've got," Silena notified them. Mitchell was walking around with a Santa hat full of names - assumingly the names of all the campers present - and each demigod was to reach in and withdraw a piece of paper without looking. 

"The gift should be thought through," Silena reminded them. "Try not to just get your Secret Santa an eraser from the gift store." She glared at Travis and Connor. "And no stealing is allowed." 

Mitchell held out the bag to Grover, who picked out a name tentatively. Percy watched as his expression went from nervous to fear. A bleat exited his mouth. 

"Oh gods," Grover groaned quietly. 

Percy frowned, but he reached in and drew out a piece of paper. He unfolded it where Grover and Annabeth couldn't see it. 

The handwriting was cursive, and neatly in pink. 

Annabeth. 

Percy was speechless. Annabeth? He'd gotten Annabeth? What were the chances? 

He watched as Annabeth drew out a name from Mitchell's hat and her eyebrows shot skyward when she read the name. 

"Who'd you get?" Percy whispered to Grover. 

Grover pulled a face and opened his paper to Percy. It read "Clarisse".

Percy burst out laughing in the middle of Silena's speech, and he quieted once she gave him a terrifying look. 

"What about you?" Grover whispered, once Percy had regained his composure. 

Annabeth, Percy mouthed at him. "Don't tell anyone," he said suddenly. If Beckendorf or the Stolls found out about this, he'd never hear the end of it. 

They seemed to be convinced that Percy had some sort of crush on Annabeth. It was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard – and this was coming from Percy. 

Grover mimed zipping his mouth shut. 

"What am I going to do?" Grover wailed once the campfire was over. He, Annabeth, Thalia and Percy were sitting on the beach, wrapped up in coats and huddled together for warmth under the night sky. "Clarisse? Clarisse? What could I get her? A new sword? What if she hates it? She might kill me!" 

Thalia suddenly grinned. 

"You have an idea?" Grover urged her. 

Thalia smirked. "Nah, just the mental image of you being dismembered." 

Grover frowned. "Mean. Who did you even get?" 

Thalia shrugged. "Silena, actually. Easiest person to buy for. Makeup or jewellery should be good." 

"You're lucky." Annabeth pulled a face. "I have no idea what to get my pick." 

Percy leaned in with interest. "Ooh, who did you get?" 

Annabeth snorted. "I'm not going to tell you! It's called Secret Santa for a reason." 

"Tell me," Percy chanted. He tried to grab the piece of paper from her pocket, but she dodged it and scrambled to her feet. 

"Cheater," she hissed as she hurried away. 

Percy waved as she walked back to her cabin. 

When she was out of earshot, Percy snapped back to Thalia and Grover. "Guys, I've got Annabeth! What do I do?"

Thalia slid him a sly smile. "Oh, you got Annabeth, did you?" 

Percy blushed. He didn't even know why. "Shut up." 

"Meant to be," Thalia muttered under her breath. 

"Any ideas, please?" Percy said loudly, ignoring Thalia's comment. 

Grover shrugged. "She's one of your best friends; shouldn't that make it easier?" 

Percy shook his head in frustration. "Unfortunately, no. I know her inside and out but I have no idea what to get her. A book would probably be great, but it's so impersonal." 

"Impersonal?" Thalia echoed. "Big word."

Percy rolled his eyes. "If you're not gonna be helpful, just go." 

Thalia raised her hands in surrender. "I'm just saying; don't you think it's too coincidental that you got Annabeth for Secret Santa?" 

"Didn't you swear not to speak of love lives in your magical oath?" Percy accused. 

"Oh, as long as its not mine, it's fine," Thalia declared. "For example, I can talk about you and Annabeth all I want." 

"Okay, that's it!" Percy pushed himself to his feet and backed away from his friends. "You're the worst advice-giver on the planet!" 

Thalia shot him a thumbs-up. "Going to find Annabeth?" 

Percy stuck is tongue. 

"Real mature!" she yelled back. 

<<< >>>

"We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!" 

On the 1st of December, Percy stumbled out of his cabin, yawning, into a whole festival of camp Christmas spirit. 

The Apollo cabin were carolling by the basketball court, and the ground was blanketed with snow. Even Clarisse hummed along as she sharpened her spear.

"Percy! Thank the gods, you're here!" Silena barrelled straight into him and dumped a huge cardboard box into his arms. 

Percy staggered back with the weight and blinked himself out of a confused daze. "Wha–?" The box was brimming with tinsel and long wreaths of green. 

"It's Christmas time!" Silena beamed. "Everyone has to help with decorations!" 

When he gave her a hesitant look, she won him over with pleading eyes. "Please? Grover will help. He's already pinning up the lights." 

Percy sighed. "Fine, fine." 

"I'll send Annabeth to join you," Silena promised. "That should be reward enough!" 

Percy ducked his head so she wouldn't see his flaming red cheeks and hurriedly headed to the camp entrance. 

The giant arch that marked the entrance to camp stood next to Thalia's pine tree. 

One his way, Percy passed the Stolls and Thalia dragging an enormous Christmas tree in the snow. 

"You should've come with us to pick out the tree," he heard Travis insist. 

"Yeah, you could've seen your tree family!" Connor ducked a flying branch à la Thalia. "Maybe they'll even try to communicate with you!" 

Percy laughed to himself as he trudged past them. 

"Perrrrcy!" Grover bleated once he saw him. He was winding Christmas lights around the trunk of Thalia's pine tree. "Come help me! I need to get the star on the top, but I'm not tall enough." 

Somehow, Grover ended up standing on Percy's shoulders and he fixed the shimmering star onto the tree's peak. 

"Hey guys." Annabeth walked up to them with more decorations in her arms. "How's it going?" 

Percy nearly dropped Grover. 

Annabeth was wearing a Christmas sweater with a reindeer on it, and there was a snowy owl perched on her shoulder. 

"Okay," Grover shrugged as he climbed down Percy. "We've still got loads to do though. Silena was really thorough with her Christmas plans this year." 

Percy glanced between them. "Okay, I've got to ask. Do you normally walk around with woodland animals like Snow White?" 

Annabeth rolled her eyes, though she laughed. "Oh," she gestured to the owl, and it flew onto a tree branch. "This is our cabin's new mascot. We haven't got a name for him yet; he flew into our cabin three days ago and sent us into a frenzy." 

"Chiron thought Connor put another Tarantula in their bunk," Grover informed Percy. 

Annabeth visibly shuddered at the thought. "But anyways, we've got a few names for him, but we're still deciding on the shortlist. Want to hear them?" 

"Uh, sure?"

Annabeth counted on her fingers. "Owlbert Einstein, Aristowltle, Owlexander the Great, Owlexander Hamilton, my personal favourite, Daedowlus, and John." 

Percy blinked. "Is it just me or is John the only non-terrible name in there?" 

"Daedowlus," Annabeth insisted. The owl flew off from the branch, probably heading to get snacks from the other demigods. 

"Hey, did you see the mistletoe Silena was putting up?" Grover asked them in a hushed tone, as if he was telling them a secret. 

Percy raised an eyebrow. "No?"

Annabeth ignorer him and nodded. "Apparently it's supposed to be full of love magic. So don't stand under that or you'll end up kissing whoever's next to you." 

"Right; watch out for the magic leaves," Percy repeated, making a mental note. That would be severely awkward. 

A sudden yell interrupted them and made Grover drop his holly wreath. 

Percy exchanged a wary look with Annabeth. "What was that?" 

She squinted at the trees. "No idea. I think it's coming from the forest." 

Percy peered between the trees, but he couldn't see anything between the branches. 

"You don't suppose it was just a rabbit?" Grover asked hopefully. 

Annabeth drew her dagger and started running off into the trees. Percy uncapped Riptide and followed at her heels. 

Grover let out a nervous bleat. "I was afraid of that." 

The three of them stalked through the snow-covered forest, searching for the source of the yell. 

"Maybe we could head back?" Grover asked again. 

"Not until we find what that was," Annabeth told him. 

As if on cue, a figure hurled itself out from a tree and landed on Annabeth, sending her sprawling into the snow. 

Percy's senses instantly sharpened, and he slashed wildly at the monster. Loud hissing sounds alerted him to the fact that it was a dracanae. 

She hissed and lunged at Percy, who swiftly dodged the strike and slashed at her with his sword. 

The monster leaped out of the way and her claws nearly nicked Grover, who bleated madly and nearly jumped out of his skin. 

Percy sliced at her feet, and feinted to the left before stabbing at her right. She parried his strike with her spear, and lifted her weapon. 

"Ah..." A choked hissing slipped from her lips as she suddenly froze in place, the bronze tip of a dagger protruding form her torso. She exploded into bronze dust, leaving behind a single snake that Grover kicked away in disgust. 

"Nice one," Percy told Annabeth begrudgingly. 

She grinned at him, but her smile broke as she winced and clutched at her side. 

Percy started towards her in concern. "You okay?" 

Annabeth's waved a hand dismissively. "I'm fine, I'm fine." She gestured behind him. "Look, there's blood." 

Percy glanced back and realised she was right. Red spots dotted the pristine snow and led to a bush. 

"Monsters don't bleed," Percy murmured as he hurried to the bush. 

Behind the shrubbery lay an injured demigod; a boy with tousled blonde hair who looked around Percy's age. 

"What..." the boy groaned, his hand holding a bloody patch of his shirt. "What's going on?" 

"Oh gods," Grover moaned. He got to his knees and started inspecting the injured demigod. "He's bruised his ribs and there's a nasty cut on his abdomen. Nothing some ambrosia can't heal, but we should get him to the infirmary." 

"A new demigod," Percy suddenly realised. He reached out an arm and pulled him to his feet. "You think you can walk?" 

The demigod winced but nodded. "Yeah, I'm good, but what the hell was that? With the snakes–and the knife–and you guys came out of nowhere–what the hell is going on?" 

Percy exchanged looks with Grover. "I'm probably not the best person to explain this to you, but Chiron would be happy. What's your name?" 

"Daryl Finche," he told him tentatively. "Um, who are you?" His gaze slid to Grover and he suddenly paled. "Are you–are you a donkey?" 

Grover let out an offended bleat. "Half-goat, excuse you." 

"He gets mad at anyone who says that," Percy told Daryl. "Don't take it personally." 

Daryl looked ready to faint, so it was a good thing Annabeth stepped in. 

"Look, it doesn't matter, but we should get you to camp before the bleeding gets worse," Annabeth informed him. After saying that, she promptly groaned and stumbled backwards, her knees giving out. 

"Woah!" Daryl grabbed her by the arm. "Careful." 

"I told you you weren't fine," Percy hissed at her as he helped her regain her balance. 

Annabeth rolled her eyes, though Percy could see her rolling her shoulder uncomfortably. "I'm fine, Percy. Just stumbled a bit." 

She turned to Daryl and blushed. "Thanks." 

Blushed. 

Percy instinctively frowned. Blushed? Annabeth never blushed. The only time he'd ever seen her blush was around Luke, and that was ages ago. 

Oh no, did that mean...? 

Percy suddenly felt an urge to punch Daryl. 

"You're both going to the infirmary," Grover told Annabeth and Daryl before Percy could act on it. "C'mon, let's go." 

Annabeth and Daryl walked back to camp side by side, chatting along the path. 

Percy trailed behind next to Grover, frowning every time Annabeth laughed or Daryl told a joke. 

“You're awfully quiet," Grover remarked. 

Percy glared daggers at the back of Daryl's head. "No one plans a murder out loud." 

Grover hid a smile. "What, do you not like Daryl?" 

Percy shrugged. "No." 

Grover raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Then what is it?" 

Percy looked away from Annabeth. "Nothing."

<<< >>>

Will rapped his knuckles on the door three times. "Chiron?" 

The door swung open, revealing Chiron in his wheelchair, and the new camper sitting across from him. 

"Hello, Will," Chiron greeted cheerfully. "This is Daryl Finche, our newest addition. Daryl, meet Will Solace, our resident doctor and nurse." 

Will waved a hand in greeting. 

His eyes raked over Daryl. Tall, 16 years old, bruised ribs and slash to the stomach...and not bad-looking, Will decided. 

"Just wanted to update you on Annabeth's condition," Will told Chiron.

Chiron frowned. "What about Annabeth?" 

Will shifted his weight.

"See, I didn't let Percy Jackson see her since she was still residing from last night, and visiting hours were over. I told him that only injured people were allowed in the infirmary..." Will paused. "So he punched himself in the face and told me he was injured." 

Daryl's eyebrows shot skyward. 

Chiron pursed his lips. "Well, you have to admire his dedication."

"He's currently resting in the bed next to Annabeth's," Will informed him. "With a bruised nose and bleeding knuckles." 

Chiron sighed. "Oh, Percy. Sometimes I really wonder."

<<< >>>

Percy sat at the edge of Annabeth's hospital bed, his math homework spread out on his lap and a pen in hand. 

No, he wasn't watching her sleep like a creepy person. He was just waiting for her to wake up. He sat facing her, so that his back was on the end of the bed, and his legs were crossed at her feet. 

She'd been sleeping since their fight with the dracanae yesterday. Will had said she'd only suffered a bruise from the surprise attack, but Percy decided to wait for her anyway. 

Besides, it gave him time to complete his mandatory holiday homework. 

The numbers on the page swam in front of his eyes. 

Solve this simultaneous equation.  
2x + y = 7  
3x - 6y = -3

Percy couldn't even focus on one line of the equation without feeling like falling off the bed. He just didn't understand maths. 

Just as he was about to throw his pen in the air in frustration, Annabeth stirred and sleepily opened her eyes. "Percy?" 

She seemed to notice his bandages knuckles. "What happened?" 

Percy went slightly red with embarrassment. "Uh..." 

Annabeth sighed. "Who did you punch now?" 

Percy pointed to his bruised nose bridge. "Myself." 

Annabeth opened her mouth, then closed it. "You know what? I don't even want to know." 

"Will wouldn't let me see you," Percy told her anyway. He set down his work beside him and leaned forward. "How're you feeling?" 

She slowly shifted into a sitting position and started to take in her surroundings. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. But, what are you doing here?" 

Percy shrugged. "Waiting for you." He lifted up the sheet of paper. "Doing homework." 

Annabeth peered over at it. "What homework?" 

Percy sighed and passed it over to her. "It's an assignment due on the first day back, and I've only written two words; my name." 

"Actually, your name isn't part of the assignment , so technically, you've written nothing," Annabeth told him. 

"Wow, thanks, Annabeth," Percy said sarcastically. "That's deeply motivating." He reached out to grab his sheet back. 

Annabeth withheld it from him. "Come on, I'll help you. Maths is, like, my thing." 

Percy perched his chin on his palm glumly. "How? You're dyslexic too." 

Annabeth laughed and picked up his pen. "It's basically just simple addition." 

"You should know by now that I only understand one-syllable words." 

Annabeth sighed exasperatedly. "Look, it's like this. If you had 10 blue cookies and Grover asks you for 2, how many cookies would you have?" 

"10," Percy replied automatically. "Grover knows not to ask for my cookies." 

Annabeth kneaded her forehead. "Okay. If you had 10 cookies and Grover forcibly took 2 of them, how many would you have?" 

"10 cookies," Percy repeated stubbornly. "And a dead Grover." 

Annabeth half-chuckled half-sighed. "Okay, this is going to be harder than I expected." 

She spent the next hour explaining the problem sums to him and helping him through it. 

Percy hated maths, but there were worse things than spending time with Annabeth. 

More than once, he caught himself staring at how the sunlight glinted off her bedhead, or the way her grey eyes shined with intensity, and Percy was forced to shake himself out of the daze to focus. 

Well, it was a good thing he spent those few hours with Annabeth, because it was the only times he would get to see her for the next week. 

Throughout the following days, Annabeth stayed by Daryl's side like they were attached at the hip. He was a son of Apollo, as it turned out during the campfire, a decent fighter, and a generous person with a great sense of humour, but for some strange reason, Percy felt an urge to scowl at him from a distance. 

Thalia noticed Percy being unusually cold towards Daryl, and she pulled him aside one afternoon. "Percy, your jealousy needs to be less obvious. I know you don't want her with him, but he's actually a really nice person, and people are starting to notice." 

Percy sighed frustratedly. "I know, I know. I don't know why I've been like this recently, I mean, I'm not jealous." When Thalia gave him an unconvinced look, he insisted, "I'm really not." 

"That explain this?" Thalia gestured wildly. 

"I have no idea," Percy said glumly. "I just get this weird burning feeling whenever she hangs around him, and whenever he tells a joke, and she laughs – it's not even that funny, Thalia!" 

"That's called jealousy," she deadpanned. 

"You're impossible," Percy muttered. 

Thalia sighed. "Look, if it really bothers you that much, just ask her out!" 

Percy violently shook his head. "But I don't like her! I just feel that she should spend more time with her real friends." 

"I don't see you asking the same of Grover," Thalia pointed out. "He's spent loads of time with Juniper, and you seem fine about it." 

"I don't like her," Percy denied again. 

"Who?" Grover whispered as he shouldered hi way between them. "What are we talking about?" 

Percy groaned and slapped a palm to his forehead. 

Thalia stifled a laugh. "Nothing. Just discussing what Percy should get Annabeth." 

Grover instantly bought it. "What about jewellery?" 

Percy wrinkled his nose. "Jewellery? Grover, have you even met Annabeth?" 

"No, like, meaningful stuff," Grover corrected himself. "Like those earrings she always wears? The ones from her mum? And the camp bead necklace?" 

Percy thought for a moment. "That's an option." He scribbled it down on his arm. "But it's still not right. I need to get Annabeth the perfect gift." 

Thalia raised her eyebrows. "Right, and you're absolutely sure you don't like her?"

Percy glared at her. 

"What about new stationery?" Thalia suggested. "That's very Annabeth." 

"That's actually a pretty good idea," Percy admitted. "But getting someone pencils and erasers for Christmas sounds really sad." 

"Stationery shops are like Disneyland for Annabeth," Thalia said. 

Percy shrugged hesitantly. "I don't know, it seems unthoughtful." 

But he wrote that down too anyways. 

The next few days brought the second week of December, and then the third week, and soon it was the night before Christmas Eve. 

So far, each bonfire "Spill the Secret" night had involved personal anecdotes from different demigods.

One night, Beckendorf was chosen, and he told the story of when Silena burst in and saved him from the Mermekes.

Another night, Travis told them about the first prank he and Connor ever pulled - on Christmas' Eve - when they were younger. 

But this night, the name pulled out of the hat was Thalia's. 

"Ooh, it's gonna be one of her adventures with the Hunters!" Percy heard a younger camper whisper to her friend. 

Thalia cleared her throat. "Alright, since this is apparently mandatory, I guess I'm telling a story." She sighed. "A long, long time ago, I was just another straggler on the streets, scavenging and running for my survival with Luke." Her tone darkened at his name, though she took a deep breath and continued. "We had just escaped some monsters, and we were hiding out in an alleyway, when we heard a dumpster shaking and clattering." 

Perçu glanced around the campfire. Everyone was listening with interest, even Annabeth, who was sitting next to Daryl on the other side. Thalia, who was next to Percy, had a way of telling stories that simply captured everyone's attention. 

"We thought it was a monster, of course, and we poised by it with our weapons out and ready to spring on it at any moment. You wouldn't believe our surprise when a human girl came flying at us, wielding an enormous hammer as if she wasn't just an adorable 7-year-old. We became fast friends, and I came to love her like a little sister. I knew from that day that I would never let anything or anyone harm her, and that I would always protect her, no matter what." 

Thalia smiled, a genuine smile, not a smirk, something that Percy hadn't seen on her in a long time. "That was the day Luke and I found Annabeth. I'll never forget that day." 

Annabeth had her hands clasped together on her lap and Percy could've sworn a year rolled down her cheek. Daryl was gazing at her with a look in his eyes that Percy didn't dare to recognise. 

Could he...

Percy hoped with all his heart that he didn't. 

Unfortunately, as usual, things didn't go his way. The following morning, after breakfast, Daryl tapped Percy on the shoulder. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" 

Alarm bells started going off on Percy's head. Had he noticed all the staring? The glaring? Percy mentally chided himself for not listening to Thalia. 

"What's up?" Percy asked weakly. 

Daryl smiled. "Nothing much. Camp's great, and even though I'm still a bit confused, I've had fun. But I wanted to ask you about Annabeth." 

Percy raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What about her?" 

Daryl shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Just that...is there anything going on with you and Annabeth? Like, are you dating, or something?" 

Percy froze up. He hadn't expected that. 

"I just don't want to get in the middle of anything," Daryl continued. "So just say the word, and I'll back off." 

"Uh, no, no," Percy stammered. "There's nothing b-between me and Annabeth – we-we're just friends. Best friends, I mean," he added. 

Daryl's face broke into a smile. "Okay, then that's great, because I was thinking about asking her out soon." 

Percy felt his heart drop. No! he screamed in his head. 

But it was like his mouth had been disconnected from his brain. "Well," he pumped a fist in the air unenthusiastically. "Uh, go for it." 

Daryl grinned nervously. "Thank you, I know it's her choice in the end, but it's really great that you're okay with it. I just wanted to check up in case." 

As he walked away with a dreamy smile, Percy considered throwing himself off a cliff. 

"What did Daryl want to ask you about?" Thalia whispered to Percy. 

"If I was okay with him asking Annabeth out," Percy said in a monotone. 

"What did you say?" Thalia demanded. "Please tell me you told him not to." 

Percy mimed pumping his fist again. "Go for it." 

Thalia groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Why?" she whined, as she lifted her head up. "Why didn't you tell him the truth?" 

"I don't know!" Percy cried. "It just came out." 

Thalia sighed and shook her head. "You know what? It's fine, there's still a chance they might not end up together. What if Annabeth doesn't like him? She could reject his advances." 

"How do I know if she doesn't like him?" Percy whispered. "There's no way of telling; Annabeth's a closed book." 

Thalia nudged him in the side. "Go ask her." 

Percy glanced to where Annabeth was eating marshmallows and staring into the fire. "You think she'll tell me?" 

Thalia pushed him towards her. "Go!" 

Percy stumbled towards the log she was sitting on and carefully regained his balance as he neared her. "Hey...?" It came out more as question. He sat down next to her. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages." 

Annabeth sighed. "I know. I've been so busy showing Daryl around camp and making sure he fit in." 

Percy wanted to ask about why she bothered showing him around for weeks but had basically ditched Percy on his first day. He bit down on his lip. "Mmhm, speaking of Daryl, what's going on with you two?" 

Annabeth glanced at him in surprise, as if she couldn't believe he was asking her about this. "Daryl and I? We're friends, I guess. He's really good at puzzles, so we've been doing the daily crossword everyday." 

Percy pulled a face. "Wow, that sounds so interesting." 

Annabeth rolled her eyes and laughed. "What do you care about Daryl and me anyways?" 

Percy shrugged. "Nothing. I just thought, maybe, you liked him." 

Annabeth blushed furiously. "What?" It came out an octave higher than her usual voice. She cleared her throat. "Why would you think that?" 

Percy stared at the flickering flames. "Well, you've been spending every damn second with him, it's hard not to think so." 

Annabeth snorted. "Excuse me? Are you angry with me?" 

Percy threaded his fingers together. "Look, I just think you're ditching your best friends for some random guy who's just shown up." 

"I was being nice to him!" Annabeth said loudly. A few campers glanced over, but she ignored it. "I'm allowed to have other friends, Percy!" 

"Yes, friends are great," Percy dragged out the word. "But Daryl is more than a friend to you, isn't he?" 

Annabeth pulled at her hair in frustration. "Percy, are you even listening to yourself? Why are you so worked up about Daryl? He's just a friend!" 

"Just a friend," Percy sneered, and made a disbelieving noise in the back of his throat. 

"Look, this is how I felt when you were with Rachel every day!" Annabeth cried. "You hung out with her and I didn't say a thing!" 

"I didn't constantly flirt with her!" Percy shouted. 

"You're being stupid, and jealous!" Annabeth yelled at him. "Why are you being like this?" 

Percy gestures wildly. "Because it annoys me when you're with him!" 

"Now you know how I felt with Rachel!" Annabeth's voice cracked. 

Percy felt his words die in his throat, and he suddenly felt a horrible guilt in the base of his stomach. 

Annabeth's eyes were brimming with tears. 

"Annabeth," Percy started forward. 

She held up a hand. "Look, Percy," she croaked. "I-I can't right now, okay?" 

Annabeth wrapped her arms around herself and started towards her cabin. 

The demigods around the campfire were whispering as she left, and Percy sat down on the log with a choked sigh. 

Thalia slid in next to him and gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. "That went well." 

Percy glanced at her miserably. "I made her cry, Thalia." 

"It wasn't on purpose," she tried. 

Percy buried his face in his hands. "I don't even know how that happened." His voice came out muffled. "I'm not usually like this. I mean, Daryl's a great guy, but why do I hate him?" He looked up at Thalia for an answer. 

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "You really don't know?" 

Percy shook his head. 

Thalia sighed. "Well, then, maybe we could come up with ideas to get him away from her. I'm on your side, for your information." 

Percy gave her a weak smile. "But how can I do that? I mean, it's her choice, I can't tell her how to live her life." 

"I have an idea," Thalia said suddenly. 

Percy glanced at her. "We're not going to murder anyone." 

Thalia slowly nodded. "Right, I have no ideas." She shrugged. "Maybe you should just leave Annabeth alone. Give her some space. You know how she likes her private time." 

Percy suddenly bolted to his feet. "Thalia, that's it," he realised. 

She scrambled to join him. "What?" 

Percy beamed. "I have the perfect gift."

The next day was Christmas Eve, and Percy woke up in a happy mood. He pushed everything that had happened with Annabeth out of his mind. Nothing would put a dampener on his mood today. Besides, he had a lot to do. 

He hurried past the Apollo carollers, who were singing more aggressively than ever. His first stop was the Hermes cabin to ask a favour from the Stolls, then the camp gift shop, and last of all, the Hephaestus cabin. 

When he'd finished rushing around doing all that, it was already afternoon, and Percy spent the rest of the day with Thalia and Grover. 

They sat around and exchanged stories, though it was mostly Percy and Thalia competing to see who had the most dangerous adventures. 

Occasionally, Grover would interrupt with small points Percy had missed out. "And then I was terrified" or "My fear was a level 13 on the Grover-meter" or "I jumped out of my skin and ran twice around the world". 

That night at the bonfire, Percy wanted to apologise to Annabeth, but the activities had already started. 

Silena was the announcer. "Tonight, our very promising candidate is..." A drumroll echoed across the campers. "Annabeth Chase!" 

Cheers went up from the Athena cabin, as they elbowed her and urged her. Annabeth was sitting among her siblings today, instead of Daryl, and Percy tried to ignore how relieved he felt. 

"It has to be personal!" Connor yelled out as reminder. 

"Okay, okay!" Annabeth held out a hand for silence, but her eyes twinkled happily. "I think I know what to say." 

She tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear. "This was a while ago, in the Sea of Monsters, and I was sailing away from Circe's Island." 

Percy swallowed, his heart rapidly pounding against his rib cage. 

"Percy," Annabeth didn't meet his eye. "Had just been turned back from a guinea pig, and was desperately craving celery." 

Laughs erupted from the campers, and Percy tried to hide behind Thalia. "It wasn't that desperate," he insisted. 

"We were getting close to the Sirens, and I, being the daughter of Athena that I am, wanted to hear them sing, because they supposedly depart wisdom to all who hear them," Annabeth paused. "So, I got Percy to tie me to the mast, so I wouldn't try to go to the Sirens. They're singing is said to be the biggest temptation of man." 

Percy felt like he was hit with multiple flashbacks at once. He remembered that like it had happened yesterday. Tying Annabeth to the mast and sticking candle wax in his ears. 

"He blocked his ears with candle wax," Annabeth continued. "Percy wasn't that invested in newfound wisdom. But when we neared the Sirens, it was like something else took over me. I struggled to get away, pleaded, and cried; all I wanted to do was swim up to that shore. Of course, Percy couldn't hear me, and he turned away for five minutes, because he knew he would release me if he didn't. But he'd forgotten to disarm me, and somehow, I'd wiggled my way to my dagger and cut myself free. I dived off the ship and instantly started swimming for the shore."

"I forgot everything else, why I was there, who I was; all I wanted were the Sirens. I saw," she hesitated. "I saw my fatal flaw – my pride – and how all my dreams could be fulfilled. I was nearing the island and their deadly jagged rocks, but Percy noticed in time, and being the son of Poseidon, he dragged me underwater in a bubble of air, where the Sirens' music was harder to hear." Annabeth looked down at her feet. "He kept me there until I snapped out of it, and he held me as I cried." 

Percy gazed at her. He remembers that clearly. That was the first time Annabeth had truly cried in front of him, and it was the first time Percy had thought to himself: no one would ever hurt her.

He thought back to the night before, when Percy had shouted at her, and once again he felt horrible.

"I'll always remember that day," Annabeth admitted. "I was only 13, but I learnt so much. I knew my fatal flaw, I knew I could be easily tempted, and I knew that this was a friendship worth fighting for." 

Annabeth momentarily glanced up and locked gazes with Percy. Percy didn't care that the entire camp was watching, he wanted to walk up and hug her and apologise profusely about everything. 

But she looked away, and Percy was left feeling terrible again. 

At the end of the bonfire, Daryl pulled Annabeth aside, and Percy forced himself to look away. Daryl was going to ask her out, and Percy couldn't do anything about it. 

Maybe he could leave his quests to Daryl's and Annabeth now, Percy thought bitterly. At least that was one good thing. 

Beckendorf and the Stolls seemed to be heading towards Percy, and he quickly hurried back to his cabin before they could tease him about the story with the Sirens. 

Percy spent the rest of the night putting Annabeth's gift together, and he fell asleep on the floor next to the finished present. 

<<< >>>

"Merry Christmas!" A loud shout woke a very groggy Percy. He was sprawled in the floor of his cabin, a line of drool sticking to his chin. 

Percy opened his heavy eyelids. "Wha..." 

"Get up, sleepyhead!" Thalia said cheerfully as she yanked him to his feet. "It's Christmas!" 

"Presents! Songs!" Grover danced around Percy's cabin. 

"What happened to all the ancient rules about the cabins?" Percy grumbled. "I thought only the children of the god could be in their cabin." 

"Christmas doesn't count," Thalia insisted. "Come on, Percy, Secret Santa is in an hour! You need to get up!" 

Percy groaned and complained as he got ready, and he finally managed to shoo his friends out of his cabin. 

He'd already missed breakfast, but Percy was too nervous about his gift for Annabeth to care. 

"Secret Santa is now taking place!" Silena hollered from outside. 

Percy hoisted the gift box into his arms and headed outside. Demigods were pulling their Secret Santas to the side and handing over presents. 

He spotted Thalia giving Silena a hand-carved bow and arrow set, with the inscription "so much more than a pretty face" carved into the bow. 

On the other hand, Grover had made a book of coupons for free "beat me to pulp" sessions, 1 hour for each coupon. It allowed Clarisse to spar with him or to practice her moves on him. 

Percy spotted Daryl standing under a tree by himself. "Hey." 

Daryl looked up in surprise and smiled. "Hey, Percy." When Percy gave him a confused look, he explained, "I came too late for the Secret Santa. Next year, I guess." 

Percy grinned apologetically. "How did it go with Annabeth?" He tried his best not to make his interest sound too obvious. 

"A hit and miss," Daryl sighed. 

Percy blinked. "Wait, what?" 

Daryl shrugged. "She said no. Wouldn't tell me why." 

Percy was so stunned he nearly dropped Annabeth's gift. "She said no?" 

Daryl confirmed it with a nod. "Told me she was just content with being friends." He shrugged again. "Doesn't bother me too much, I mean, she's a great friend, and having her around has made this week a lot less lonelier." 

Percy felt horrible. He remembered how much of an outsider he had felt like in his first week, and he regretted not hanging out more with Daryl. Maybe Annabeth really had just been keeping him company. 

"Well," Percy lifted up his gift. "I have to go find my Secret Santa now. Talk to you later?" 

Daryl grinned and waved. 

Percy scanned the area for a certain someone until he felt a tap on his shoulder. 

He turned around to see Annabeth standing there with a nearly wrapped odd-sized present in her arms and a nervous look on her face. 

"Hey," she breathed. 

Percy swallowed. "Annabeth, I–Oh gods, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said all those horrible things – you're your own person and you should be able to make your own choices. It wasn't my right to tell you what to do." He sighed. "I just–I'm so sorry, Annabeth."

Before he could lose his courage, Percy set down his present and wrapped his arms around her. 

Annabeth recovered from her shock in seconds and returned the hug. 

"Such a Seaweed Brain," she murmured into his ear, though she buried her face in the crook of his neck. 

Percy inhaled. The scent of lemons surrounded him. Annabeth wasn't mad at him anymore. Everything was right in the world. 

When they withdrew, Percy was blushing so much he thought he would spontaneously combust from the sheer heat he was giving off. 

"And well," he held out the gift. "Merry Christmas from your Secret Santa." 

Annabeth's expression morphed into surprise. "You're my Secret Santa?" She took the present from him. 

Percy scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah." 

Annabeth laughed. "That's funny, because I'm your Secret Santa." She handed him her gift. 

Percy sat down and pulled her down next to him. "I didn't wrap mine, because well, I didn't want to give you a crumpled mass of paper." 

Annabeth peered at the gift box – floral design with a white ribbon. 

On the lid, there was an inscription. 

To my Wise Girl:

best friend  
[best] [friend] (n)  
1\. Your other half.  
2\. The one who is ready for any crazy plan offered by you.  
3\. The one who always picks you up when you fall down after finishing laughing. 

Percy watched as as a smile slowly spread across her face while she read it. Malcolm Pace from the Athena cabin had printed it out for him, and he'd stuck it onto a gift box from the camp gift shop. 

Annabeth untied the bow and lifted the lid. Inside the box, there were holders of sharpened pencils, a lucky fountain pen, other coloured pencils, glue sticks, and sheets upon sheets of large rolled-up paper. There was a personalised Toblerone bar (from the Stolls), a celestial bronze knife, and a box of tissues. 

"What is this?" she asked. 

Percy grinned. "A 'don't talk to me, I'm working' care package." 

Annabeth choked with laughter. "Oh gods, it's perfect!" She couldn't stop laughing. "You know me well." 

"Thalia gave me the idea," Percy admitted. "But I worked out the details." 

"I love it," she assured him. "I also like the celestial bronze knife." 

"It's for you to stab people who piss you off," Percy informed her. "Please don't use it on me."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and nudged her gift towards him. "Open mine." 

Percy carefully tore off the wrapping paper. First, a white edge peeked out. As he unwrapped the gift, a large picture frame was revealed, capable of holding at least 10 photographs. 

The frame was in a diamond shape and already had pictures slotted in. One was of Percy, Grover and Annabeth when they were 12, taken right before they'd gone off to retrieve Zeus' lightning bolt. 

Percy did a double take at how young they looked in that picture. That had been nearly 3 years ago. 

There was another picture from the summer, when Percy and Annabeth had tied in a game of Capture the Flag – the one and only tie in the history of Camp Half-Blood. The picture was taken with them standing side-by-side, both of them holding a flag. Percy seemed to have done something stupid, and Annabeth was laughing. The picture captured that exact moment, and Percy couldn't help smiling at the memory. 

The other photographs depicted their other adventures: Percy, Annabeth and Thalia before they set off to find the di Angelos; sitting under a tree as Annabeth read and Percy fell asleep on her shoulder; Annabeth kissing Percy on the cheek when they won the chariot race with Tyson. 

"It's amazing," Percy choked out. His eyes flickered to one last picture frame that was empty. "What about that one?" 

"That's for today," Annabeth informed him. She yanked him to his feet and yelled, "Smile!" 

Percy was caught by surprise, but he grinned at her anyway, and a camera click went off. 

When he blinked the dancing spots away, Thalia was standing there with a camera in hand. "Wanna see?" 

Percy peered at the screen of the camera. He was grinning madly at Annabeth, and she was laughing insanely. Their hands were entwined from her pulling him up, and Percy couldn't help thinking that it looked like he was in love with her. 

"It's perfect," he decided. 

"I'll get it developed," Malcolm announced, snatching the camera out of Thalia's hands and marching off to his cabin. Thalia sprinted after him to check. 

"I think it's decided that we're great gift givers," Percy told Annabeth. 

"Yeah," she bumped shoulders with him. "Proves we know each other." 

Percy suddenly felt a tingling down his spine, and he glanced up, where a bushel of mistletoe was hanging just over their heads, the leaves brushing against his hair. 

Annabeth followed his gaze, and her cheeks tinged red. "Oh..." 

Percy gazed down at her – he could now do that as he was growing to be taller than she was. "Yeah..." He swallowed. 

In that moment, all Percy wanted to do was press his lips to hers. He didn't care that everyone would see, all he wanted to do was pull her in and kiss her. 

Then Annabeth cleared her throat and looked away, breaking the spell. 

Percy took a step back, glancing away from her. "Right, okay–let's go, right?" he stammered. 

Annabeth grabbed her gift box and nodded. "Um, yeah. Let's go find Thalia and Malcolm. They've probably got the picture developed." 

Percy followed absently, but all he could think of was how she could make his heart pound with one smile. "Yeah. Right." 

<<< >>>

Annabeth walked beside Percy as they headed towards her cabin, but her heart was racing more quickly than a Pegasi. 

Under the mistletoe, she'd had the weirdest feeling. There had only been a centimetre separating her and Percy, and Annabeth had the strangest urge to lean in and kiss him. 

She shook it out of her head. If Percy even knew what was going on in her head...

Annabeth sighed internally. She didn't want to ruin their friendship – he was one of her best friends – but she couldn't help thinking what it would be like if they weren't just friends. 

It'll never happen, she reminded herself. They were demigods, they'd be lucky if they lived through the year. And then there was Rachel, and the fact that they lived in different cities. It was simply too complicated. 

"You keep going," Annabeth told Percy. She spotted Silena smiling in the corner of her eye. "I'll meet you in your cabin." 

He hefted the picture frame. "Then you can help em put this up." Percy winked at her and continued to his cabin. 

Once Percy was out of earshot, Silena hurried towards Annabeth. 

"What's the deal with you and Daryl?" Sultan demanded. "Are you dating? He's cute, isn't he?" 

Annabeth wrinkled her nose. "He's a great guy, but I told him no." 

Silena didn't seem too surprised. "Why?" 

Annabeth shrugged. "I don't know." 

Oh, she knew. 

Daryl was a great guy – funny, handsome, smart. But he wasn't Percy. And Annabeth knew that if anything were to happen between her and Daryl, nothing could ever happen between her and Percy. 

And she didn't want to be stuck with the idea of nothing. 

"Mmhm," Silena murmured, unconvinced. 

Annabeth glanced back at the mistletoe she'd been standing under earlier. "Silena, the strangest thing happened," she paused. "When we were under the mistletoe, I just–I wanted to kiss Percy." 

Silena hid a smile. 

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It's your dumb Aphrodite magic." 

"Right," Silena nodded. 

As Annabeth hurried to follow Percy, Silena sighed and shook her head. 

"For a daughter of Athena, she's not very smart, is she?" Silena muttered. 

"What's that?" Charlie hooked an arm round her waist. 

Silena laughed and turned to him. "There was nothing magical about the mistletoe. Connor and Travis stole it from a mortal store." 

They exchanged knowing looks as Percy and Annabeth started a snowball fight. 

"I'd give them by the end of the month," Charlie mused. "They're bound to realise it soon." 

Silena snorted. "End of the month? No, they're more oblivious than that. I say one year till they start dating." 

Charlie grinned. "You're on. Five drachmas?" 

Silena shook his hand firmly, giving him a cheeky wink. "Prepare to pay up."


End file.
